919 | MORRISVILLE
It'sbeautiful! NEW MORRISVILLE COMMUNITY LIBRARY READY AND WAITING…
By JANIS JAMES
H
elen Yamamoto feels she already knows Morrisville. Having spent 10 years at the West Regional Library in Cary – which is less than three miles from the Morrisville border, Yamamoto said she got to know many people from Morrisville. “I love the diversity of Morrisville, the community’s openness to new experiences, and the population’s desire to make their town the best it can be,” said Yamamoto, who’s married and the mother of four children (and one grandchild). “They support the library and are committed library users, and I feel a special connection with them. When the opportunity opened up to manage a library embedded in the Morrisville community, it just made sense for me to reach for it!” Now if she and her team can just open the doors of the new 8,800 sq. ft. facility at 310 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville residents can browse and choose from more than 46,000 books. As of late August, no opening date was set (due to the COVID-19 closure of all Wake County libraries); however,
Yamamoto is confident that patrons will feel the new facility is well worth the wait. “I think they will be surprised by how open the library feels, how bright it is, and how much seating and table space is available,” she said. But the open space and natural light is only the beginning. “Much of the furniture has built-in charging stations for electronic devices,” Yamamoto noted – but, as someone interested in sustainability, her favorite aspects of the library include the native landscaping plants and the fact that it has the infrastructure for solar power. “In addition, all the lighting is LED, and the ceiling light fixtures look like a work of art – be sure to look up when you enter the building!” Speaking of art, Morrisville Community Library is one of the first Wake County facilities to include a work of public art. “Planned for installation in mid-August, the piece will be in the plaza at the corner of Carolina Street and Town Hall Drive,” Yamamoto said. “It is an interactive work, and there are plans CONTINUES ON PAGE 40
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Fall 2020
